Black Music Month: theGrio's top 10 black solo pop stars of the 1980s

SLIDESHOW - In honor of Black Music Month, we've compiled this slideshow paying tribute to our top 10 favorite solo superstars of the decade...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

The 1980s were the decade of the multifaceted pop star. The top artists in music dominated not just the airwaves, but music videos and live performance. It was a time of excess — but also brilliant craftsmanship.

Performers like Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston and Tina Turner (just to name a few) have all has decades of success but in the 80s they were arguably at the peak of their powers as cultural phenomenons.

In honor of Black Music Month, we’ve compiled this slideshow paying tribute to our top 10 favorite solo superstars of the decade.

Check out our picks and see if your favorite 80s performer made the list.

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